Turning the tides
by Joanna Hennet
Summary: My name is Ramee. I'm a program. I had made a new home in Argon, and it was good while it lasted. My life hasn't always been easy, but I can tell when it got worse. It was when General Tessler invaded Argon. I had always maintained a low profile, but this time I had to make a choice. A big one. Set in Tron: Uprising.
1. A new home

**Disclaim: I do not own Tron or any of the movies, games and series associated to it.**

* * *

So. Here I am. Fighting Clu, the most evil and deranged program I've ever met, trying to hold him off to protect two Users and two ISOs. How did I ended up here?, you might wonder. Well, the story is a bit complicated and starts many, many cycles ago. But if you want to know what happened, here it is. This is my story.

* * *

I still remember my first impressions of Argon City. A huge city, bright and beautiful. I got there in my search for my friend Koru, but I'd promised myself that it would be the last stop. If I didn't find anything in Argon, I wouldn't keep looking for him. So I entered the city, divided between two hopes, one acknowledged and the other not. The first was obviously the one that I'd find Koru, but the second was completely the opposite. I was already too tired of traveling all around The Grid searching for Koru, too tired of not belonging anywhere. My first stop in Argon was the obvious one: a night club. That was the best spot to gather data and also find a place where I could get employment. It didn't take long to find a good place to start, but unfortunately it took even less time for me to get in trouble. I've always been kind of a an impulsive program, and I get offended rather easily. So, short vesion: these two programs approached me and started to tease me and, next thing I know, I'm punching them in the face. Sort of. The whole thing actually ended with the guys on the floor after a series of hits that probably no one managed to see. To make them justice, they did tried to fight back, but they stood no chance against me. Even though I worked as a mechanic, I was programed to fight. I was a soldier. An old fashioned, hard trained soldier. But, with everything, it probably wasn't my best introduction card. I got out of the club rather angry and still wanting to punch something, only to find a program leaning next to the door, obviously waiting for me.

-That was pretty impressive what you did back there.- he said as a greeting.

-Thanks.- my answer was stiff and I didn't stop walking.

He just laughed and started to walk next to me.

-I take it your not the most sociable program, am I right?

-Pretty much, yeah.

I looked at him thoroughly, searching for any signs of hostility. As he didn't seem to have bad intentions, I allowed myself to relax a little bit.

-Are you going anywhere in particular?- he asked.

-Not really. It's my first time in Argon.

-You know, I could show around if you want to.

My first reaction was to say no, I mean, I didn't even knew the guy; but then I thought, why not? After all, I didn't know Argon at all and a little bit of tourism wouldn't hurt.

-I'd really like that, thanks.-

-Cool. I'm Bodhi, by the way.

-Ramee.- I answered with a smile as I shook the hand he was offering.

* * *

Bodhi was the first friend I made after Koru's disappearance and he turned out to be a pretty good one. The cycle we met, he showed me almost every part of Argon worth seeing and he even recommended to go to the garage where he worked to find a job. When we split up, I found myself smiling for the first time in many cycles. I decided to follow his advice and at the start of the next cycle I showed myself at the garage. Before going in, I checked my appearance in a nearby glass. The reflection I saw was the usual me; tall, really pale skin, blue circuits and short dark red hair, something I haven't seen in another program to the day. The closest color I've seen in someone else's hair is orange. I tried to flatten my hair with my hand, but it remained as untidy as ever. Well, that was worth a shot. I walked in and spotted Bodhi immediately. He was working in one side of the garage next to three other programs, two guys and a girl with blue hair. I directed towards them and, once there, cleared my throat to make my presence acnowledged. Bodhi looked up and smiled at me.

-Ramee! So you came.

-Well, I do need a job.- I answered, smiling back at him.

He got up and put his arm around my shoulders.

-And this is a good place to start. Come on, I'll introduce you to the big boss around here.

I followed him to an office and we both got in. Sitting at a desk was a program with dark skin and white hair, obviously Bodhi's boss.

-Able? This the program I talked to you about.

Able got up and walked closer to us, examining me carefully. I felt a little uncomfortable with the observation but I remained still.

-So you're Ramee.- he said after some time.

-Yes, sir.

Able laughed.

-Don't "sir" me, kid, it makes me feel old. Bodhi tells me you're new in town, is that correct?

-Yes, si... yes.

-And you're a mechanic?

-Some would say a pretty good one.- I answered, shrugging.

-Well, we'll see about that.- he said as he walked over to a wall where there were many batons (and when I say many, I don't really mean many, I mean more than I'd ever seen together), stored in shelves.

Able picked one and throwed it to me. I catched it with ease, thanks to the acurate reflexes I'd gotten from training, then running away, then that damn program hunt I was conducting to find Koru.

-Fix this and you're in. Bodhi will show where to work.

We got out of the office and Bodhi led me to where he was working before.

-I really hope you're as good as you say.

-Don't you worry about that.- I answered with my best smile. Which wasn't the best smile ever, by the way.

I took a few steps back then rezzed the lightcycle. I heard an impressed whistle behind me.

-And you're sure you can fix _that_?- Bodhi asked.

I could understand his skepticism. The bike was really, _really_, damaged. To be honest, I'd never seen a bike in that state before, let alone fixing one. It almost looked deliberate. Almost. But I was still confident. After all, I'd been taught by the best.

-Yeap. Piece of cake.- I answered, with half honesty, as I kneeled next to the bike and started to work on it.

After a short while, I heard a female voice behind me adressing to Bodhi.

-Hey, Bodhi! Who's that?

I looked over my shoulder and saw the blue haired girl I'd seen before, followed closely by the other two programs.

-Possible new colleague. Guys, this is Ramee. Ramee, these are my friends, Beck, Zed and Mara.

As he said their names, he pointed in turns to the tall guy with spiky black hair, the program with dark skin and brown hair, and finall to the girl with blue hair. I waved at them absent mindedly, focused on my work. The girl, Mara, kneeled next to me to get a better view of my actions.

-I really hope Able hires you.- she said. -It would be nice to have another girl in the group.

I turned my head to face her and smiled. I liked her already. I kept working on the bike for a while, moving the codes aside now and then, as long as I'd finished dealing with them. Suddenly I heard a male voice next to me.

-You know, that code looks weird for a recently rearranged one.

I didn't even blink at the sudden interruption, but I looked towards the voice, only to find Beck kneeling next me. He had a softer voice than I expected. I think I was expecting him to be just like every other guy I'd ever met, starting with my teammates when I was still a soldier, finishing with Bodhi and Able, and passing by Koru. This unexpected discovery made me react a bit more aggressively than I would have in normal circumstances. Always happens. Something surprises me, I get the aggressive show on.

-You know, I'm perfectly capable to fix a lightcycle on my own, thank you very much.

I saw him retreat a little in surprise and immediately regreted my tone. What the hell was wrong with me? (If you're surprised that I say hell, I'll just say I learned it from Koru, and he learned it from... well, who knows where)

-Besides,- I added in a much friendlier tone. -if you help me it would be cheating and I don't cheat.

I saw him smile and I had to contain a sigh of relief. Damage repaired, now let's move to the next thing that needs fixing. I fought against the damaged bike for a while longer then stood up, pleased with my work. The bike that Able had handed me almost completely destroyed was now looking as good as new. And I've got to admit that it was a really nice bike. Purple circuits, a stylized design... it definitely looked built for speed. Not in the way of a good old-fashioned Encom 786 but close. Real close. My type of bike. I heard the same impressed whistle as before, this time multiplied by four. I couldn't help but smile. A fifth one sounded just moments later, making me turn around and see Able standing next to Bodhi, Beck, Zed and Mara, arms crossed and looking impressed.

-Well, looks like you weren't lying about your skills as a mechanic. You're in.

I started to thank him in a rush. He stopped and walked to the bike.

-Don't thank me kid. You've earned it.- He turned the bike back into a baton. -And you've earned this too.- he added, handing me the baton.

I didn't take it. I just stared at him.

-I... I can't accept it.

-Kid, I've got too many of these gathering dust in shelves. And honestly, this bike looks like it was made for you. So please, do me a favor and accept it.

I finnally decide to take it, feeling like it was all too good to be true. But it was. That's how my new life began. I made friends and I took a job. And for a while it was good. But I should have learned from my past experiences that, under Clu's power, such things are never meant to last.


	2. A battle worth fighting

_I should have known. I should have known_. That was all I could think as I rearranged my suit. And I kept replaying the scene that had happened a few moments ago, in the arena, and wondering where did it all go wrong. Was it there? Or before, when I had finally agreed to teach Bodhi some fighting moves? I didn't know. All I knew was that it went worse the moment those recognizers showed up. Beck and Bodhi had just finished a disc game, Zed and Mara were in the middle of another, and I was standing next to the field, waiting for my turn to fight, when I heard that voice for the first time.

"Greetings, programs. This is General Tessler."

I felt my insides freeze. I knew that sensation. It meant trouble. Big time.

"In the name of our great leader Clu, I now claim Argon City as occupied territory."

A ship flew above us and dropped a huge crate that broke when it touched the ground, revealing a statue of Clu. I joined Beck and Bodhi.

"Definitely not good." said Beck.

I nodded. Soldiers were now coming towards us, with tanks and other stuff I knew too well.

"If Tron were here..." I heard Beck say.

"You mean if Tron were alive." Zed interrupted.

Bodhi had walked towards one of the guards.

"Hey, that's our field."

I clenched my teeth.

"Don't get in trouble." I whispered.

"It's our field now." answered the guard.

"Hey, you can't do..."

Bodhi's phrase was stopped by the hit of a light staff. I gasped, immediately covering my mouth with my hand. The guard dangerously approached us, standing over Bodhi, who was now on the floor.

"No more games." he said.

I saw Bodhi get up as the guard walked away and, somehow, I knew what was going to happen. I took a step forward, a warning on my lips, but it all happened too fast. Bodhi had walked to the guard.

"You don't scare us." he said.

Right before the guard turned around and hit him in the chest with his light staff. I heard myself screaming his name at the same time that Beck did, as if it was someone else's voice. I saw his bits scatter on the floor and his disc roll to Beck's feet. A feeling of irreality took over my senses, as I watched the bits on the floor. _No_, I thought, _This can't be happening again_. Memories of all the people I'd lost that way came back, making me close my eyes. My thoughts were thankfully interrupted by Beck's voice, which also made me open my eyes.

"He won't get away with it." I heard him say as he picked up Bodhi's disc.

"You wanna be next?"

Before I could walk to him to stop him from doing something stupid, Zed put his hand on his shoulder.

"Beck, don't! There's nothing we can do."

The moment I heard Beck's next words, I knew what decision he had made.

"For now."

And I also knew that I would help him. The moment Bodhi was derezzed, I made my choice. I was done hiding and let others fight the battles worth fighting.

* * *

I finished to rearrange my suit and put my disc back on. The identity Lorna had given to me slid back on for the first time in so many cycles I couldn't even determine the last time it did. Magik. A name and a suit. It was time to bring her back to life. I stopped Beck before he could get out.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked from the shadows.

"Ramee! If you're trying to stop me, don't bother."

I could clearly see that he had changed his own suit. The large T on his chest was pretty impressive.

"I'm not trying to stop you." I said, coming out so he could see me. "But it seems to me that Tron could do with a little Magik."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

I slid my helmet on.

"It means I'm going to help you."

The statue was heavily guarded. Tanks and guards all around it, but, luckily, I knew how to avoid all of them. We reached the top of it in no time. Next step, cutting off his head. Beck's idea. It amazed me to see how many things this guy had in him. I was the one to throw the bomb in and, honestly, it felt amazing. Just wished that I could have done that with Clu himself. Well, in the meantime, that had would have to do. We left before the explosion and rezzed our light cycles at the same time. I wasn't riding the one Able had given to me, though I would have loved it, because it was too easy to recognize. We were already away from the blast when two orange bikes showed up. Good, more things to blast off. Yeah, I was in a "blast everything that stands in my way" mood. Happens sometimes. Beck and I took care of them in no time. Even for me, that had been riding in Argon for far less time than Beck, it was piece of cake. Those guys were amateurs. Though Beck ended up without his bike. Suddenly, another program appeared practically out of nowhere and hit Beck, making him fall. I immediately turned my bike around as this new program, who turned out to be a girl, stood above him.

"So you're Tron? Huh, thought you'd be taller." I heard her say.

Beck jumped out of his spot then stood on the other side of the street, taking out his disc just as I arrived next to him. I took out my own disk while I jumped off my bike, turning it into a baton in the process.

"So you have a little friend. Interesting."

Beck and I looked at each other, then ran to her. She threw her disk at us and Beck glided below it while I just jumped over it. Unfortunately, the program used Beck's move to pin him to the ground, catching back her disk.

"What a waste", she said before lowering her hand to hit Beck.

He caught her arm as I landed behind her and kicked her in the back, allowing Beck to shake her off him.

"They usually don't last this long. Who are you?", she asked as she stood up.

"You said it yourself. I'm Tron.", answered Beck, as we stood up too.

I ran to her, going down on one knee to sweep her legs with a kick. She jumped over it, allowing me to grab her arms and lower her to my raised knee, which threw her to the ground. That gave us the time to run away. She ran behind us, and as we moved through the huge crates of the shipping district, a helicopter appeared above us. Quickly, Beck turned a corner and I followed him, ending up in a dead end. The helicopter's light fell right on top of us.

"Well, this is a problem."

"Oh, really?", I asked, my voice full of irony.

Beck was about to answer me when the program that had been chasing us stepped into the alley.

"There you are."

"Here we are", I answered.

Two other programs landed behind her, disks out, and started to walk towards us. They stood before us in a threatening pose.

"Game over, programs", she said.

"Not yet.", answered Beck.

He jumped over the two new programs, using them as impulse to jump over the crates. I quickly followed, using the same method. We ran away, but there was nowhere to run to. Beck turned around, just as the other program appeared on the crates.

"How long are you gonna keep running?"

I took one step back, putting my back against Beck's, him facing that program, me facing the helicopter that had just appeared. That gave me an idea.

"The helicopter.", I whispered to Beck.

He gave me a quick nod, then we ran to it-

"I'm done.", said Beck.

"Our ride's here.", I added as we jumped to the helicopter.

I landed safely, but Beck miscalculated and almost fell. I grabbed his hand and pulled him in, before running to the pilot and putting him out of action by crashing his head against the control panel. Not the best idea ever. Beck pushed me aside and sat down on the pilot's seat, taking out the tool Bodhi had given him back at the garage.

"Thanks, Bodhi.", he said to himself, using the tool to fix the panel.

"Good one, Beck."

Suddenly, the girl from before jumped into the helicopter, attacking Beck. Why did people had the tendency to attack him first? Did I look less dangerous? Beck stroke back, while I took the pilot's seat.

"You know, this isn't yours." said the program to Beck.

I was having trouble keeping the helicopter in course due to the fight going on behind me. I lost control a few seconds, causing it to almost fully crash into a building. I managed to save it at the last minute but the damage was done.

"I can't wait to see what you've got..." I heard from behind me, followed by the sound of a hit.

"Maybe we should slow things down. Get to know each other better."

I rolled my eyes. Really, Beck? Flirting with an enemy program in the middle of a fight?

"Impressive. Maybe you should work for me, we'd make quite a team." she answered.

"I don't like your boss. Maybe you should work for me."

"Sorry. Don't see a future in that."

Her phrase was followed by the sound of a kick and Beck falling behind me, making me lose control of the helicopter once again. The sound of an alarm made Beck turn around, just in time to see the huge building we were about to crash into. He took the controls from my hands and changed the course. I pushed him off and he went back to fighting that girl, who effectively kicked him in the chest, making him fly out of the helicopter.

"Tron!" I shouted.

I stood up and faced her. She smirked and threw a kick at my chest, which I dodged by going underneath her leg and punching her in the stomach.

"You know, you're just as interesting as your friend out there" she said, grabbing my fist with a hand before I could connect with my target.

"Oh, really?"

I took my disk out with my other hand and threw a hit at her to the shoulder. She dodged it, letting go of my hand in the process.

"Really. I wonder who _you_ are, though. Never heard of Tron having a lady friend."

Every phrase she said was followed by a punch that I dodged and responded. She tried to hit me with her disk and I grabbed both her wrists.

"There's a first time for everything. I'm Magik, by the way."

A beeping sound alerted us that something was wrong. I looked outside, noticing the destroyed engine. The helicopter started to fall. Beck jumped back in, kicking the program in the face.

"That was fun.", I said, standing over her, "We should do this again."

Beck had run to the other side of the helicopter and grabbed two sets of wings. He threw me one, then went to the side of the helicopter.

"Hope you know how to land this thing." he said, before jumping.

I rolled my eyes, then followed his example.

The fall was long, but not long enough to allow us to properly open the wings. I was having trouble because somehow during the battle I'd gotten hit in the arm, while Beck apparently didn't know how to use these things. Result: we fell to the ground. Hard. I stood up fast. I had had worse falls. Beck took some more time. But, shortly after he stood up too, the ground started to break.

"Oh, great." I said, before running the hell out of there.

We reached a huge opening and jumped, landing safely on the other side.

"Hey, Beck."

"Yeah?"

"Next time, we _have_ to take it easier."

"Come on. What would be the fun in that?"

We both laughed, then headed back home. After a long while of walking, we were finally able to see Argon in the distance. Before us there were rests of ships and other stuff. We found a vehicle, though it was broken. Beck kneeled and fixed in no time, so it wasn't long before we were riding back home. Suddenly, I heard the distinct sound of a lightcycle behind us. I turned my head around to confirm what I'd heard. Indeed, there was an orange lightcycle following us.

"Beck, behind us!", I screamed to make myself heard over the sound of the wind.

He looked over his shoulder, then put on the light trail. But soon enough, our persecutor caught up with us, his own light trail on, making us crash into it. We fell to the ground. The other program walked to us and stood above us.

"You're a long way from home, programs."

We both took out our disks at the same time and charged him, but he simply threw two devices that put us out of action.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of a room, handcuffed back to back with Beck, a circle of light around us. The program that had captured suddenly appeared. I ignored him, disconnecting my hearing as he started to interrogate Beck. I was focusing on freeing us, trying to get Bodhi's tool from Beck. I could feel the vibrations coming from Beck while he talked. After a long time of trying I finally managed to grab the tool and I started tinkering with the handcuffs to free us. Suddenly, the other program crouched in front of me. I quickly reconnected my hearing.

"What?"

"I asked, who are you? Your friend over here is impersonating Tron, but I've never heard or seen anyone like you."

"Then you mustn't get out much." I snapped at him, using the distraction to retake the work I interrupted when he stood before me. "I'm Magik. Quite known back in the central zones. Though my real name is Ramee."

"Hmm. Interesting.", was all he said, before focusing back on Beck.

I continued to open the handcuffs, ignoring their conversation, but stopping every time he changed sides around us. Finally, I managed to get them open and I signaled it to Beck with a light touch of my fingers.

"Do you really believe that if they think Tron is alive it will inspire a revolution?" I heard the program asked Beck.

"I know it will."

I used that as signal to take out my disk and charge at the program, while Beck picked up his disk and did the same. He dodged both our attacks.

"We won't be intimidated." said Beck.

We kept attacking him, but he simply dodged us, not even taking out his disk.

"I don't care how strong your forces are."

Beck was still talking. How did that guy managed to find the guts to talk like that in fight, I've got no idea. My rule is: keep your mouth shut during a fight or you get derezzed. Simple.

"You should.", simply answered the other program, throwing Beck over his shoulder.

He fell to the floor, losing his disk in the process. I attacked again, losing the words they exchanged next. Beck charged too, without his disk, which was completely stupid, considering this guy fought way better than him. The program finally started to do something other than simply dodging as he blocked both mine and Beck's attacks.

"And nothing I say will stop you?" he asked Beck, grabbing both of us and immobilizing us at the same time.

"I won't stop fighting." answered Beck.

OK, I admit it, the kid has guts. A lot. The other program kicked us both to the ground. Beck stood up, searching for the program, while I stayed on the floor. I had fallen over my wound, and my arm was giving me a hard time. I watched as the program appeared next to Beck, holding his disk against his neck.

"Even if it means you'll be derezzed right now?"

"If it means other will take up my cause, so be it." answered Beck, putting his own disk against the other program's neck.

"Step aside. Let us out." he demanded.

"No." was the answer.

"Then this is the end of both of us."

I lost the next words as a sting of pain in my arm made me curl up, but I managed to see the program's helmet slid back, followed by his suit, that transformed into one I knew very well.

"I'm not dead." said Tron.

"Tron. I was right. You're here to help." said Beck.

"No. I'm here because I need help."

"What?"

"From someone who's committed. I think you may be just what I'm looking for."

"What are you looking for?"

"The next Tron."

* * *

"There's a war raging. Those programs don't even know it's happening. Clu's generals have taken over every city on the Grid. Now, thanks to you, we can bring the fight to him."

I listened to Tron's words, feeling a little bit confused. Was he saying that Beck was like the savior that would free us all from Clu or something? Beck was just a mechanic. A good mechanic who could put up a good fight, but he wasn't the type to start an uprising. Not on his own at least. I was sitting on a chair Tron had put on for me, rubbing my arm that he had managed to fix. Guess he had some knowledge of field meds. I would have done it myself, but my arm wasn't functioning correctly.

"Wait. What do you mean, me? What do I do?"

"You're special. I saw what you did tonight. You have a gift, Beck."

"A gift? I'm an OK mechanic. That's my gift. See, that... that thing with the statue, it was nothing. It was a one time deal. I wouldn't even have been able to do it without Ramee."

Seemed like we were thinking along the same lines. Though not the part about him not being able to do it on his own. Beck is by far one of the most resourceful programs I've ever met.

"It's a revolution, Beck. You must finish what's begun."

"Why can't you finish it? You were the one programed to secure the Grid."

"Don't you think I want to? I can't." he took a step back, and a light turned on below him. Two red circles slowly raised up around his body, showing some horrible scars all over it. "Clu betrayed me. Left me with scars that will never heal. He took everything from me. Everything but my name. I need you to help me carry on that name. Show everyone that as long as Tron lives, there is still hope."

"I'm sorry. But what I did, I don't know why I did it. But I'm... I'm not special. I'm just like everyone else."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"Yeah."

"Then the war is already lost.", said Tron, walking away.

I stood up and walked to Beck.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah. I don't know why he said all those things. That I'm special and all that. I mean, he could've said the same about you."

My laugh echoed around the place.

"Me? Trust me, Beck, there's no one less special than me."

We slowly walked to the exit.

"Can I ask you a question?", suddenly asked Beck.

"Shoot."

"Where did you learn to fight like that? I didn't pay much attention when you taught Bodhi some moves, but I saw you clearly tonight. You fight better than those soldiers."

I carefully avoided his gaze. There we were. Starting with the awkward questions. That was one of the main reasons why I never stayed too long in one place. Because, sooner or later, someone would start asking questions that I didn't want to answer.

"I'd rather not talk about it, Beck. It's a lot to cover."

To my relief, he shrugged and let it be.

* * *

We almost got caught on the way back, but it was the only thing that happened. We were saving our stuff in our lockers when Able suddenly appeared in the hallway.

"Beck! Ramee! Where have you been?"

We exchanged a nervous look, not knowing what to say.

"Get down to the garage. Something's happening."

We did as we were told. Two guards took us to next to our colleagues while the girl from before watched.

"Finally.", she said, "I've been waiting for you."

"Now I feel special." muttered Beck.

"Don't flatter yourself, program, this isn't just for you. It's for everyone."

A big screen appeared in the recognizer, showing what we had done with Beck.

"What happened last night, is nothing short of sedition. If you know these programs, turn them in. As long as he's free, you won't be. I'm here to announce that Tessler is bringing the games to Argon. In a few cycles, we'll be rounding up volunteers, until this impostor is apprehended. Now, back to work."

She slowly walked away, as each of us directed to a working spot. I saw Beck flip the tool Bodhi had given him, but so did the program. She roughly grabbed Beck's hand.

"Where did you get that?"

"Ah... I... I found it."

Lame. Was that all he could think of?

"He got it from the cabinet where we keep all the tools." intervened Able.

The girl looked at them both, then released Beck.

"Back to it, program."

"Eh, nice to meet you." Beck said to her retreating back.

"I see the feeling's mutual.", said Zed.

"Alright everyone. The soldiers are gone, let's get back to work."

I worked as usual, but my mind was definitely elsewhere. I was thinking about Tron, of the things he'd said. Maybe if I could talk Beck into doing this... I shook my head. That was definitely a stupid idea. OK, we blew up the statue, but that didn't mean I had to become some kind of a masked hero. Risking my life like that, even for a good cause, was the best way to let my past catch up to me. Lost in my thoughts, when the day ended I wasn't paying too much attention to the things going on around me.

"Hey, Ramee!"

The sound of Mara's voice brought me back to reality.

"What?"

"I was asking if you're OK, you know, with everything that's happened. I know you're relatively new around here, but we could all tell you and Bodhi were close."

I looked at her, not sure of what to say. But the orange walls suddenly closing in on us saved me the trouble.

"Attention, programs. I am general Tessler. I'm here to tell you you're now volunteering for the games. Thank you for you cooperation."

I looked at him with hate beyond anything I'd felt before. It was his fault Bodhi was dead. If he hadn't come to Argon, this would have never happened.

A female voice was suddenly heard.

"Attention, programs. You have been selected for the games. Please board for the Coliseum."

Several guards pushed roughly inside the transport. I looked with resignation as Zed tried to get out, with no results. The train left the station, and we sat down on the benches. Half my mind was focused on the incoming possibility of the games, the other thinking whether Beck would be stupid to try and come rescue us. I knew that for me the games wouldn't be a problem in case that he didn't, but I was worried for Zed and Mara. Those two had zero combat training, which would eventually result in them being derezzed at the first battle they faced. The trip was long, and suddenly we heard some noises coming from outside. I recognized them instantly. Fighting noises. So Beck was stupid enough to come and rescue us. Not that there was any doubt. But the noises stopped as suddenly as they started, and we were still on a train headed for the Coliseum. Suddenly, the train derailed, sending us all flying in all directions. Lights went off, but the doors opened, revealing Beck, dressed as Tron.

"Programs! Leave, now!"

I did as everyone else, ran away as fast as I could, but not without sending a knowing smile in Beck's direction. He opened us a way out, inexplicably helped by a guard. I ran off with the others, but separated from them as soon as we were out. Changing fast into my Magik suit, I ran back inside, just as the program that had helped Beck was derezzed.

"Magik! I was wondering when you'd show up!", Beck said as he turned to face the owner of the thrown disk, which turned out to be Tessler himself.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun."

Tessler jumped off the train after putting his disk back in its place. He stood before us and suddenly his hand lighted up. OK, not good.

"I don't like the effect you two are having on my people."

He walked to us, his cloak disappearing, and attacked. We fought back, but soon enough Beck and I were thrown against one of the cars. Yeah, definitely not good.

"Who do you think you are? Tron? Magik?"

"Forgive me if I don't shake your hand." I said, as I threw my disk at him.

Beck threw his disk up then ran to Tessler, with me close behind. We exchanged hits with Tessler, always avoiding those hands of his. Beck threw his disk, which Tessler deflected, then caught it again and landed on another car. I jumped next to him.

"You're no Tron. You're nothing!"

His hands extended, throwing us through the wall. We escaped through the structure next to the rail, Tessler always close behind us thanks to his freakish hands. We reached the roof, and Beck and I ran for the edge.

"You think you're helping them," came Tessler's voice from behind us, "but trust me you're only making things more painful."

"Those programs I just rescued might disagree." answered Beck.

"Look out there! I've got dozens of cars, heading to round up more programs. You can't save 'em all!"

"Watch me." we said at the same time.

Beck took his disk out and broke the tube we were standing on, making us fall, Tessler along. Beck landed on a tube below, as I managed to catch another one a little bit further. Tessler was still falling, but he extended his hands and grabbed Beck's head.

"This isn't over."

Beck used his disk to cut off Tessler's hands, making him fall.

* * *

Hours later, we were both standing in Tron's hideout.

"I want to do this." said Beck. "I _have_ to do this. I'm ready."

"No, you're not. Neither of you is." Tron took out his disk and took off the cover, handing it to Beck. "But you will be."

Beck took the cover and put it on his disk. When he put the disk back on his suit changed into Tron's. I smiled and looked at our reflections. We were opposites. His suit was completely white with a few white circuits and a bit "T" on his chest. Mine was black with a what seemed like a million purple circuits over it that converged on my chest too, forming a pentagram. Tron looked at us then walked away.

"Come. We have a lot of work to do. Tron. And Magik."

Looks like I was right. Tron does need a little Magik.


End file.
